1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to temporary outdoor shelters and their construction. More particularly, this invention relates to sheet member that can be configured to serve as a tarp, open-ended shelter, closed or reflector-type tent, or another type of outdoor shelter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of tents and other outdoor shelters have been proposed. Most are limited to a single configuration, such as a closed tent with one or more panels or flaps that serve as a closure. For mountaineering and other forms of more challenging outdoor activities, versatility with minimal weight are important features. As a result, outdoor shelters have been proposed that are relatively lightweight and simple in their construction. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 2,567,697 to Craighead, Jr., et al., which discloses a tarp equipped with zippers and configured to be raised to form a rainfly, tent or lean-to shelter. The tarp requires a number of poles in order to form an open-ended tent, and cannot be configured to be completely closed and have an awning to keep a backpack, etc., dry while stored outside of the shelter. Reconfiguring the shelter from a rainfly to a tent requires the shelter to be taken down, which may be extremely difficult if not impossible under certain conditions.
In view of the above, it would be desirable if more versatile, lightweight shelter was available that can be readily set up to have one of a number of different configurations.
The present invention provides an outdoor shelter comprising a sheet member having an uncomplicated construction, yet is versatile in being configurable to erect different types of shelters, such as a closed tent, an open-ended shelter, or a reflector tent.
The sheet member has a generally rectangular-shaped portion, i.e., having four corners and four peripheral edges. With this construction, the sheet member has four fold lines that extend from the corners to a central region of the sheet member. The fold lines delineate four triangular-shaped panel regions of the sheet member. The sheet member further comprises a slit extending from a first of the four corners to the central region of the sheet member. The slit defines separated opposing edges between the first corner and the central region of the sheet member. First and second complementary securing means are disposed at the opposing edges for selectively and temporarily securing the opposing edges together. The opposing edges define a first of the fold lines when secured together by the first and second complementary securing means. A third securing means is disposed on a second of the fold lines extending from the central region of the sheet member to a second corner of the sheet member adjacent the first corner. The third securing means is complementary to at least one of the first and second complementary securing means to enable the second fold line to be secured to one of the opposing edges. By selectively securing the first and second complementary securing means to each other or the third securing means, the sheet member can be configured to achieve a variety of shelter configurations.
In a preferred aspect of the invention, the sheet member further comprises a second slit that extends along a third of the fold lines from the central region of the sheet member toward but not to a third of the four corners. The second slit defines a second pair of opposing edges between the central region and the third corner, and is equipped with fourth and fifth complementary securing means for selectively and temporarily securing the second pair of opposing edges together. The second slit can be used to provide a ventilation opening for the shelter.
A significant advantage of this invention is that the sheet member makes possible a variety of lightweight and portable shelter configurations. A preferred feature of the invention is the ability to raise the shelter with a single cord while the corners and/or edges of the sheet member are appropriately anchored. Accordingly, a desired shelter configuration can be quickly and readily set up with minimal tools. Another preferred feature of the invention is that the sheet member can be reconfigured without necessitating that the shelter be torn down, so that the user can easily adapt the shelter for changing weather conditions or needs.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.